陆游（1125—1210），字务观，号放翁。汉族，越州山阴（今浙江绍兴）人，南宋著名诗人。少时受家庭爱国思想熏陶，高宗时应礼部试，为秦桧所黜。孝宗时赐进士出身。中年入蜀，投身军旅生活，官至宝章阁待制。晚年退居家乡。其一生笔耕不辍，今存九千多首，内容极为丰富。与王安石、苏轼、黄庭坚并称”宋代四大诗人”，又与杨万里、范成大、尤袤合称”南宋四大家”。著有《剑南诗稿》、《渭南文集》、《南唐书》、《老学庵笔记》等。
Lu You (1125-1210), also known as Wuguan and Fangweng. Han ethnicity, born in Shanyin, Yuezhou (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang), was a famous poet of the Southern Song Dynasty. When he was young, he was influenced by patriotic thoughts in his family. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, he passed the examination of the Ministry of Rites and was deposed by Qin Hui. During the reign of Emperor Xiaozong, he was granted the title of Jinshi. Entering Shu in middle age, he devoted himself to military life and held the position of Baozhang Pavilion waiting to be made. Retired to his hometown in his later years. Throughout his life, he never stopped writing, and now there are over 9000 poems with extremely rich content. He is known as one of the “Four Great Poets of the Song Dynasty” along with Wang Anshi, Su Shi, and Huang Tingjian, and is also known as one of the “Four Great Poets of the Southern Song Dynasty” along with Yang Wanli, Fan Chengda, and You Mao. He has written works such as “Jiannan Poetry Manuscripts”, “Weinan Collected Works”, “Southern Tang Book”, “Notes of Lao Xue’an”, etc.
Lu You’s “Guessing the Joy” vividly depicts the prosperity and hardships of merchant life, as well as the poet’s unique insights into the merchant world.
陆游·《估客乐》
长江浩浩蛟龙渊，浪花正白蹴半天。
轲峨大艑望如豆，骇视未定已至前。
帆席云垂大堤外，缆索雷响高城边。
牛车辚辚载宝货，磊落照市人争传。
倡楼呼卢掷百万，旗亭买酒价十千。
公卿姓氏不曾问，安知孰秉中书权。
儒生辛苦望一饱，趑趄光范祈哀怜；
齿摇发脱竟莫顾，诗书满腹身萧然。
自看赋命如纸薄，始知估客人间乐。
The Merchant’s Joy
Lu Yu
The wide wide Yangtze, dragons in deep pools;
wave blossoms, purest white, leap to the sky.
The great ship, tall-towered, far off no bigger than a bean;
my wondering eyes have not come to rest when it’s here before me.
Matted sails: clouds that hang beyond the embankment;
lines and hawsers: their thunder echoes from high town walls.
Rumble rumble of oxcarts to haul the priceless cargo;
heaps, hordes to dazzle the market—men race with the news.
In singing-girl towers to play at dice, a million on one throw;
by flag-flown pavilions calling for wine, ten thousand a cask;
the Mayor? the Governor? we don’t even know their names;
what’s it to us who wields power in the palace?
Confucian scholar, hard up, dreaming of one square meal;
a limp, a stumble, prayers for pity at His Excellency’s gate;
teeth rot, hair falls out—no one looks your way;
belly crammed with classical texts, body lean with care—
See what Heaven gives me—luck thin as paper!
Now I know that merchants are the happiest of men.
（Burton Watson 译）
